John Hamby addresses the Biblical topic of forgiveness using Joseph as an
illustration and how we, as Christians, are to properly apply forgiveness
and grace. This is an encouraging and edifying sermon that I encourage all
my fellow Christians to read.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
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Dealing With Forgiveness!
by John Hamby
Genesis 45:1-20
1 Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants,
and
he cried out, "Have everyone leave my presence!" So there was no one with
Joseph when he made himself known to his brothers. 2 And he wept so loudly
that the Egyptians heard him, and Pharaoh's household heard about it.
3 Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph! Is my father still living?"
But
his brothers were not able to answer him, because they were terrified at
his
presence.
4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come close to me." When they had done
so, he said, "I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! 5 And
now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling
me
here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. 6 For
two
years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years
there will not be plowing and reaping. 7 But God sent me ahead of you to
preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great
deliverance.
8 "So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to
Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt. 9 Now hurry
back to my father and say to him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God
has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me; don't delay. 10 You shall
live in the region of Goshen and be near me - you, your children and
grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and all you have. 11 I will provide
for you there, because five years of famine are still to come. Otherwise
you
and your household and all who belong to you will become destitute.'
12 "You can see for yourselves, and so can my brother Benjamin, that it is
really I who am speaking to you. 13 Tell my father about all the honor
accorded me in Egypt and about everything you have seen. And bring my
father
down here quickly."
14 Then he threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept, and
Benjamin
embraced him, weeping. 15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept over
them.
Afterward his brothers talked with him.
16 When the news reached Pharaoh's palace that Joseph's brothers had come,
Pharaoh and all his officials were pleased. 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph,
"Tell
your brothers, 'Do this: Load your animals and return to the land of
Canaan,
18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the
best of the land of Egypt and you can enjoy the fat of the land.'
19 "You are also directed to tell them, 'Do this: Take some carts from
Egypt
for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never
mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.'"
"Simon Wiesenthal lost 89 relatives in Hitler's death camps. He has
devoted
his life to finding Nazi criminals and bringing them to justice. He is
often
asked when he will give up. After all, he is hunting down men in their
70's
and 80's for crimes committed half a century ago.
Wiesenthal answered by writing a book. The book begins with a true
experience he had while he himself was a concentration camp prisoner. One
day he was yanked out of a work detail and taken up a back stairway to a
dark hospital room. A nurse led him into the room, then left him alone
with
a figure wrapped in white, lying on a bed. The figure was a badly wounded
German soldier, whose entire face was covered with bandages. His name was
Karl.
With a trembling voice, the German made a kind of confession to
Wiesenthal.
He told how he had been brought up in a Nazi family, the fighting he had
experienced on the Russian front, and the brutal measures his S.S. unit
had
taken against Jews. And then he told of a terrible atrocity.
All the Jews in a town were herded into a wooden building that was then
set
on fire. Karl had taken an active part in the crime. Several times
Wiesenthal tried to leave the room, but each time the ghost-like figure
would reach out and beg him to stay. Finally, after 2 hours, Karl told
Wiesenthal why he had been summoned.
The soldier had asked a nurse if any Jews still existed. If so, he wanted
one brought to his room so he could clear his conscience. He then said to
Wiesenthal -"I am left here with my guilt. "I do not know who you are, I
know only that you are a Jew and that is enough. "I know that what I am
asking is almost too much for you. "But without your answer I cannot die
in
peace." Karl asked for forgiveness for all the Jews he had killed. He
asked
for forgiveness, from a man who might soon die. Wiesenthal sat in silence
for some time. He stared at the man's bandaged face. At last, without
saying
a word, he stood up and left the room. He left the soldier in torment,
unforgiven.
Had Simon Wiesenthal done the best he could? He himself seemed
dissatisfied
with his action. He went over it with his companions. He visited the dead
soldier's mother.
In his book, he asks 32 rabbis, Christian theologians, and secular
philosophers to comment on it. "What would YOU have done?" is the question
he posed.
Out of 32 people he asked the majority said he had done right in leaving
the
soldier unforgiven. Only 6 said he had done wrong. Yet Bible says we have
the privilege of granting forgiveness to those who have wronged us."
The story of Joseph gives us a model for forgiveness. The past had
shattered
Joseph's ability to trust his brothers. In order to trust his brothers,
Joseph needed to know and believe two things - that they were telling him
the whole truth and that they were truly sorry for what they had done.
You will remember that in the previous chapter Benjamin had been accused
of
stealing Joseph's silver cup and Judah was pleading for mercy. Judah and
his
brothers are anxiously awaiting a verdict from Joseph, one that will
determine the course of the rest of their lives.
Dr. David Seaman's in "Healing for Damaged Emotions" says, "The two
primary
causes of emotional stress are the failure to forgive and the failure to
receive forgiveness." [David Seaman. Healing for Damaged Emotions.
(Wheaton:
Victor Books, 1981) ]
FORGIVENESS IS EXTENDED 45:1-10
"Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him,
and he cried out, "Make everyone go out from me!"
When Judah reached the final step in his repentant confession (44:33)
actually pleading that he be allowed to take Benjamin's place as a slave,
Joseph "could no longer control himself" (45:1). He knew this was the time
to tell them who he was. His questions were all answered. His brothers had
told the truth. Most important of all, their hearts were changed.
When Joseph finally gained emotional control once again, he identified
himself. "..So no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to
his
brothers. (2) And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of
Pharaoh
heard it."
Without knowing what the prime minister intended to do they saw that he
was
visibly upset and saw him send everyone out of the room. The brothers
already were filled fear as they awaited the decision of the prime
minister
concerning their fates. But then this man made a statement that drove a
wedge of terror into their hearts. He spoke in Hebrew to them and said,
(AAA-NEE-YO-SAPHE) -"I am Joseph." The response is silence. We are told
"..But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed in his
presence. When Joseph's brothers heard these words they were so stunned
and
overwhelmed with fear that they could not speak. We read "they were
dismayed
(literally terrified) at his presence." They have nothing more to say, no
more appeals left, no hope for mercy. (This is how it will be for the
wicked
when they stand before God.)
Joseph began to reassure his brothers by pointing to God's purpose. In
verse
4- 8 we read, "And Joseph said to his brothers, "Please come near to me."
So
they came near. Then he said: "I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold
into
Egypt. (5) But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves
because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. (6)
For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still
five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. (7) And
God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and
to
save your lives by a great deliverance. (8) So now it was not you who sent
me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all
his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."
Joseph could see the unbelief and sheer terror in their eyes. Although he
was speaking Hebrew perfectly, which probably frightened them even more,
he
looked like an Egyptian. He knew that he would have to help them to accept
the idea that he was really Joseph. That is when he asked them to "come
close to him" (45:4).
Joseph did more than reveal his identity he revealed his perspective on
what
had happened to him. Notice the two words that change everything, "But
God!"(v.8).
Joseph says "you sold me but .. God sent me." (v. 5). Seeing God at work
in
his life had prevented him from being bitter. He knew that God took the
evil
intentions of his brothers and overruled them for good. Believer's today
has
the assurance of Romans 8:28 that says, "And we know that all things work
together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose." This scripture does not say that all things are
good but that God causes all things to work together for good. God is
behind
the circumstance in your life, not causing them but using them.
There is of course always the temptation to bitterness. Bitter people
think
that they are hurting the people they are angry with while in fact they
are
really only hurting themselves.
Job says in (5:2), "For wrath (resentment) kills a foolish man, And envy
slays a simple one." The irony is that if you fail to forgive, the person
you consider your enemy will direct your life. Because you have chosen not
to forgive you will make your decisions based on what you think will harm
the one with whom you are bitter. In Matthew 18 (23-34) Jesus tells the
story of servant who was pardon of an astronomical debt by the king who
when
he saw a fellow servant who owed him a few dollars had him thrown into
prison because he could not pay. When the king heard of how the pardoned
servant had no pity on his fellow servant he was "handed over to the
jailers
until he should pay back all that he owed" (18:34). Bitterness imprisons
us
in a prison of our own making.
Joseph then tells his brothers to go and get their father Jacob and all of
their families and come live in the land of Goshen (vv. 9-10). When he had
said this he according to (vv. 14-15), "Then he fell on his brother
Benjamin's
neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. (15) Moreover he kissed all
his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with
him."
In what is surely one of the most tender scenes in all of Scripture,
Joseph
"threw his arms around his brother Benjamin and wept and Benjamin embraced
him weeping." He then "kissed all his brothers and wept over them." The
scene of Joseph embracing and kissing those brothers we have wronged him
is
unsurpassed in the Bible, with exception of Lord loving and even kissing
the
one who had betrayed him.
Joseph has given us a wonderful model of forgiveness. But don't be fooled
forgiveness is not easy. However, we often make forgiveness even more
difficult by false assumptions about the meaning of forgiveness. I want to
take a few moments to examine some of those false assumptions.
Forgiveness is not overlooking the wrong.
Joseph did not pretend that nothing had ever happened. Joseph clearly said
"you meant it for evil but God meant it for good." (50:20). Joseph did not
minimize the wrong they had done.
Forgiveness is not excusing the wrong.
Forgiveness is not finding excuses for the wrong that was done. What
happened was not the result of a bad home environment, poverty or any of
the
other things that society uses to excuse sin!
Forgiveness is not minimizing the wrong. No where does Joseph say, "Boys
don't
worry about it, it was not that big a deal!" Forgiveness never meant that
Joseph had minimize what pain of what had happened to him.
Forgiveness is not taking the blame for the wrong.
Joseph did not say, "Its ok boys I know it was my fault, I should have
never
worn my fancy robe of many colors into the field, I should never have told
you about those dreams."
Forgiveness did not mean that Joseph had to take the blame for what had
happened. No matter what Joseph said or did, it did not excuse what his
brothers had done.
Extending forgiveness is hard. But forgiveness is a decision to bring pain
to an end. In order to forgive I must let go of my resentment, bitterness,
hurt and pride. Forgiveness is hard but hate is harder.
"The miracle of forgiving is the creation of a new beginning. It does not
always take away the hurt. It does not deny the past injury. It merely
refuses to let them stand in the way of a new start." (Lewis. B Smedes.
Forgive and Forget. )
Joseph's brothers must have left Egypt enormously encouraged by the grace
that has been shown them. But how much of it had been appropriated in
their
lives.
FORGIVENESS MUST BE ACCEPTED
Even years later, after they had brought their father Jacob down to Egypt
where he eventually died, they were still afraid that Joseph might get
revenge against them. It is years later and they still have not fully
accepted the forgiveness that has been extended to them.
They once again allowed guilt to do a number on them. There was no doubt
in
their minds that the death of their father could mean that sudden reversal
of Joseph's forgiveness towards them. In Genesis 50:15-20 we are told,
"When
Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "Perhaps
Joseph
will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to
him." (16) So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, "Before your father
died he commanded, saying, (17) 'Thus you shall say to Joseph: "I beg you,
please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did
evil to you."' Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the
God
of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. (18) Then his
brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold,
we
are your servants." (19) Joseph said to them, "Do not be afraid, for am I
in
the place of God? (20) But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God
meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save
many people alive."
They are still rehearsing past sin which had already been forgiven by
Joseph, but which had not fully forgiven them-selves. Here they are years
later and Joseph is still reassuring his brothers that they have been
forgiven. Often in life the last ones we forgive is ourselves and I think
that is exactly what these brothers are still fighting with. As Chuck
Swindoll says in his book on Joseph, "Guilt clings to the side of the
boat,
clawing for a foothold, long after grace has come on board and begun to
steer." [Charles Swindoll. Joseph: A Man of Integrity and Forgiveness.
(Nashville: Word Pub., 1998) pp. 144-145.]
Joseph's heart is broken to understand that the brothers have not
appropriated in their lives the forgiveness he had given them years
earlier.
They are living under a burden of guilt for sins that have already been
forgiven. But how about you, are you still fight with guilt for sins that
you have already asked God to forgive you for? If you have asked for God's
forgiveness, he forgave you, then and there. The question is, "Have you
allowed yourself to be forgive? Are you living as if you have been
forgiven?"
Conclusion
1. Remember if you are saved today it is only because you yourself have
been
forgiven.
2. Remember that you will need forgiveness yourself some time in the
future.
3. Reflect on the terrible cost of the refusal to forgive.
4. Remember you will be able forgive when you begin to look for the hand
of
God at work in your circumstances.
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